The Portland daily press., 1887-12-30
A BUSY MORNING.
clImpses of the Way one of AmerI-
cas- Great Business Men Works.

/
from their perches to the top story Of the
big Western Union building on Dey street
they would have seen, from the brilliantly
| lighted windows, that their day is not the
only one to begin in the night. If they had
| left their vehicles and entered the basement
| of the building and observed the wakeful
| faces behind the glass fronted desks, bending
| over piles of telegraph messages, they would
have been still further convinced of the
lateness of their own arising,and if anything
more should be needed to complete this i'm
| preston the steady sitting of messenger boys
coming and going on their, errands would
| supply that needed link in the evidence.
| The day in the Western Union building
has as many beginnings as it has hours and
| Just as many endings. When one mans work
| leaves off another's begins, and thus the
| largest telegraph Office in the largest city on
the continent manages to serve the busy and
| impatient public without moments un-
necessary delay
The truck drivers have reached their mar
| kets long ago. They have disposed of their
| stock and returned to their homes. Broad
way is so filled with noise, confusion, hurry
| and rush that it would be hard to imagine it
ever had been asleep. The hands of st.
| PauPs clock point to the hour of 10 as a
coupe draws up at the main entrance of the
Western Union building The door opens
and tall, vigorous old gentleman steps out
upon the pavement The driver turns his
horses head and is soon lost in the sea of
carriages at Fulton street. The old gentle
man opens the basement door of the build
| ing, and moment later he stands on the
elevator. His stopping-place is the second
| floor, and his destination is the large room
| in the Broadway corner of the building. The
moment he steps behind the railing of the
| ante-room, grayely returning the good-morn-
ing greetings of the clerks, and closes the
door OF the private room behind him, the Off.
cial day of the most important officer in this
great corporation has begun.
Suppose we spend the day with Dr. Nor
win Green, president of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, and learn, If we can, how
its enormous business is conducted. We will
not be in the way, am sure, and, if we hap
pen to intrude for moment will stand the
discomfort and not you. Is it bargain?
AS you may possibly never have had the
pleasure of Mr. Green's personal acquaint-
ance. Let me describe him to you, SO that
there will be no constraint on your part dur
ing the days varied experiences. DR.. Green
would be over six feet tall If he stood per-
fectly erect. Years of work, however. over
his desk have given his shoulders a StudiOus
stoop. His frame is large and muscular
and he carries his SO years as lightly as
many less vigorous man does his double
score The Doctors head is his most notice.
able characteristic. 1t is large and mas
siyely shaped. His hair is iron gray in
color, and moustache of the same hue cov-
chief popularity is its firmness and strength.
His eyes are dark brown, and require no art
licial aid to enable their owner to read any
thing but the finest OF print Altogether he
is very well-preserved man, who has re-
tanned his mental with his chyssi .c,assr strength
to marcyellons degree. And he needs them,
too, IN his arduOus position, for to person.
ally manage the affairs of corporation with
a capital stock of over $80,000,000, and con-
trolling wire enough to belt the earth twen-
fV-0nQ flmng rpOuirns all fla QfrQnuth and
vigor one man can expend without serious in
Jury to his constitution.
1t is now five minutes past 10. The Doctor
has reached his large desk in one corner of
the room and almost in front of the great
open fireplace, on either side flom which
stretch out the lines of oaken chairs occu-
pied by the directors of the company on COM
mittee days. On the Doctors desk is piled
his mail-nOt bulky package OF letters for
the president of such corporation, you may
think. That is because you did not see it
when it first came into the hands of the
young man who sits on the other side of the
Doctors double desk.
When Mr.. William Schmultz, the presi-
dents private secretary, first examined the
pile iJ was thrice as large. But two-thirds of
the epistles did not require the Doctors per-
sonal scrutiny, and were therefore weeded
out by the. secretary. Some were marked
and laid aside for reference to the general
officers. Others were torn up and thrown
in 40 the waste basket. Thus it is that when
DR.. Green seats himself at his desk, barely
twenty letters lie before him. Yet these
twenty letters would take man less rapid
in his work a morning to read and answer.
There are letters from all quarters of the
globe. One is from the company's counsel
in France, telling of an argument in a Pari-
sian court in the cable pool suit and announc-
ing a speedy decision. Another is from a
woman in San Francisco, who complains of
losing $4,000 because a message was not de-
livered to her in time for her to make certain
arrangements. This letter threatens instant
suit unless the money is Immediately forth
coming.
Write to her." dictates the president to
his secretary, as he smiles over the edge of
the scented letter paper, shat the matter has
been referred to the company's attorney. We
have scores OF such letters every week." eX-
plains the president, ''but few of them are
successfully prosecuted. Very often there is
no damage sustained, and still oftener the
fault lies with the sender of the message"
Here is a letter from the mother Of a boy
in Northwestern town. He has been en-
ployed as operator in the village Office, and
for time was in charge. That time, how
ever, is past, for discrepancy in his ac-
counts was discovered and his services were
dispensed with by the local superintendent
He has made various and unavailing efforts
to secure his reinstatement. and, as a last
resort, his mother writes to the kind-hearted
president to intercede in his behalf. The
money was taken. Yes, that connot be de-
his personal possession. But" pleads the
MOTHER 'he meant to pay them back, and he
would have done so, too, had he only been
given sufficient time. 1t was only such a
small amonnt--a paltry 500. and what is
500 to a rich corporation like the Western
UniOnY
Every little, 1t is true" comments the pres
ident. 1T is hardly possible that 500 would
ruin the company but when one considers
that we have over $4,000 offices, that would
hp pSfa hliGhlnU had OrnpQ0nDf rafbQr Pm
sorry for the mother and sorry for the boy,
but can't Interfere" and the letter goes in
to the waste basket
These are not all the letters A full half
dozen are from personal acquaintance re-
garding personal matters. Others inquire
about matters of business and have to be
answered In person. The president is a
rapid dictator, however, and disposes of each
in turn in few well-chosen and terse SEN
| tences
Nearly an hour has passed. The cores
| pondence has been concluded and the pres
dent is ready to give his attention to other
| matters.
This tall giant of man, to whom work
| that would break down an ordinary man is
mere pastime, is Gen. Thomas Eckert, the
| general manager. You would think from
| his active speech and vigorous ways that he
had just turned 40 but he is nearly twenty
| years older than that He has come in to
consult with the president about matter in
| his department Barely ten minutes is con-
sumed in that talk, but during that time
matters involving an even 100000 are decid-
| ed and the policy of the company in case
| OF more Importance than falls to the lot Of
most business men to consider during life
time is determined The positions of these
two men require ready wits, clear judgments
and quick speech. They thoroughly under
stand each other, and not syllable nor a
| sound is wasted.
Good morning Mr. Van Horne"
The next visitor is middle-aged gentle
| man. tall, broad-chested, but not corpulent.
| His face is pale and his features are marked
withlsuffering. lie is the first yice-president
| of the company.
You don't seem very we'll this morning."
| continues the president.
| II have felt better, Doctor" returns the
| visitor.
| Don't you think it would be well for you
70 on ax.oS from, tho nffira for n short iraet 9'